Embargo 10am Monday 21 August
A research
team at the University of Adelaide has found a way to reduce brain swelling, the
most common cause of death after stroke.
Studies by
doctoral student Renée Turner in the Department of Pathology have shown that
swelling in the brain seems to mimic a similar process in the skin, and may well
be amenable to treatment with drugs, although these are yet to be developed.
“This
potentially provides the first new clinical pathway to reducing brain swelling
in 50 years,” Turner says. “It should improve the chances of survival after a
stroke and reduce the risk of long-term disabilities.”
About 48,000
episodes of stroke occur in Australia each year, one every 11 minutes.
Brain
swelling or oedema is a common complication of stroke. It occurs when water
accumulates in the brain, causing compression and eventually death of brain
tissue. The mechanism in the brain is unclear. But in the skin, a similar
process known as neurogenic inflammation is triggered by nerve cells. This
results in increased leakiness of blood vessels and water accumulation in the
skin tissue.
A compound
known as substance P has been shown to contribute to this swelling in the skin,
Turner says. And blocking substance P reduces skin tissue oedema.
“Until
recently, neurogenic inflammation was not known to occur in the brain following
injury. Our laboratory has now shown that substance P is released during stroke.
And blocking substance P receptors following stroke subsequently reduces brain
swelling and improves outcome and survival in rats.”
Renée Turner
is one of 16 Fresh
Scientists who are presenting their research to school students and the general
public for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program hosted by
the Melbourne Museum and sponsored by the Federal and Victorian governments, New Scientist,
The Australian and Quantum Communications Victoria. One of the Fresh Scientists will win a trip
to the UK courtesy of the British Council to present his or her work to the
Royal Institution.
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